- Title: USA: FILM STARS ATTEND THE WORLD PREMIERE OF "GREAT EXPECTATIONS"
- Date: 18th January 1998
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 20) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) EXTERIOR OF PREMIERE THEATRE TELEVISION CREWS GWYNETH PALTROW WITH TV CREWS ETHAN HAWKE WITH TV CREWS POSTER FOR FILM WITH GWYNETH PALTROW ON IT (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) GWYNETH PALTROW SAYING OF DICKENS, "HE WOULD EITHER BE OKAY WITH IT BECAUSE WE'VE TAKEN SUCH SORT OF POETIC LICENCE WITH THE ADAPTATION OR HE WOULD MAYBE BE COMPLETELY HORRIFIED BY IT I THINK THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A GREAT ENDEAVOUR TO TAKE AN OLD BOOK LIKE THIS AND KIND OF TRANSPOSE IT AND MAKE IT MODERN, YOU KNOW. IT'S DIFFERENT, IT ACTUALLY MAKES FOR AN INTERESTING FILM." ANNE BANCROFT ARRIVES (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) ANNE BANCROFT SAYING, "ONE OF MY EARLIEST MEMORIES OF DICKENS WAS WHEN I WAS READING THROUGH THIS LITERATURE BOOK AS A YOUNG GIRL AND IT JUST HAD EXCERPTS FROM A FEW DIFFERENT GREAT WRITERS AND GREAT BOOKS AND I WAS READING THEM AND I THOUGHT OOOH HOW WONDERFUL THEY ALL WERE, AND THEN I CAME ACROSS A PAGE FROM DAVID COPPERFIELD, AND I WAS ASTOUNDED." (SOUNDBITE SPANISH) DIRECTOR ALFONSO CUARON SAYING, "WHY HE ALMOST DIDN'T DIRECT THIS FILM." (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) ETHAN HAWKE SAYING, "ALFONSO'S MEXICAN, OKAY, SO HE'S LATIN AND HE'S A PASSIONATE MAN AND HE MADE A GREAT FILM, SO I LOVED HIM." ANDIE MACDOWELL AND NASTASSJA KINSKI POSING ALAN RICKMAN ARRIVES (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) ALAN RICKMAN SAYING OF HIS MEMORY OF DICKENS, "WELL, THE LAST MEMORY I REMEMBER WAS OF HAVING TO PASS AN A-LEVEL EXAM WITH OUR MUTUAL FRIEND, 900 PAGES LONG, THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER." DONNA DERICO AND NICKI SIXX SPEAKING WITH TV CREWS
- Embargoed: 2nd February 1998 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND FILM lOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVAA7UU888V4TFZIRQI9DBO7OA5P
- Story Text: - Less than two years after Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes updated "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet," Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow are doing the same to Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" in a new film version.
The stars attended the film's World Premiere in Los Angeles on January 20.
Hawke plays Finn Bell, changed from the book's character "Pip," who travels from his poor working class upbringing on the Florida Gulf Coast to the heights of success as a New York City artist.
Along the way, his encounters with three individuals change his life forever.
Paltrow plays the beautiful but icy Estella, a childhood love of Finn's ever since he met her and her flomboyant aunt Ms.
Dinsmoor in their decaying mansion in Florida. Oscar-winning actor Anne Bancroft plays Ms. Dinsmoor, re-named from the book's "Miss Havisham," who is the richest woman on the Gulf Coast who lost her mind thirty years earlier when her fiance left her standing at the altar. Ever since Finn's childhood, she had warned him that Estella would someday break his heart.
The other character affecting Finn's journey is the escaped convict Lustig, played by Robert DeNiro. When Finn was a young boy, he helped Lustig escape his pursuers despite being terrified of the scary-looking man. When Finnis grown and enjoying his success in New York, Lustig returns to impact his life in new ways.
This version of "Great Expectations" is directed by Mexican born director Alfonso Cuaron, whose previous credits include the critically-acclaimed children's film "A Little Princess." He says initially he turned down the opportunity to direct this film because he was intimidated by the book and by legendary director David Lean's 1946 film version of the same story.
This version is only loosely based on the original book. Many of the characters names have changed and the location has shifted from Victorian England to Southern Florida and modern day New York. Much like "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet," the filmmakers have also added a soundtrack full of popular acts like Tori Amos, Duncan Sheik, and Pulp.
Internationally acclaimed Italian painter Francesco Clemente also contributed to the film's look by creating all the original artwork drawn by the character of Finn, including portraits of principal cast members who each posed privately for Clemente.
"Great Expectations" opens throughout the United States on Friday, January 30. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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